Press Release – Oceana – May 4th, 2010 – American super starlet January Jones arrives in Belize Monday to film her swim with Belize’s world famous whale sharks at Gladden Spit off the Placencia Peninsula. Jones, who is on her first visit to Belize is the spokesperson for Oceana’s save the shark campaign since February 2009.
The filming is for the production of a public service announcement which will be aired internationally and which will focus on the beauty and value of sharks to the marine eco-system. The campaign entitled “Scared for Sharks” speaks of how we should be less afraid of sharks and more afraid for sharks as they are being hunted and killed to a near point of extinction.
Belize’s waters are home to over 10 species of sharks amongst them the Whale Shark, which is the largest living fish in the world. The hundreds of thousands of visitors who flock to Belize’s shores each year just to get a glimpse of these sharks are responsible for almost half of the revenues earned in the tourism sector.
Sharks world wide are in danger since they are being killed to feed the appetite of the Asian markets which see the serving of ‘shark fin’ soup as a symbol of high status. Shark fin soup is used for ceremonial purposes and are served largely at weddings. Sharks are valuable for their fin thus their fins are hacked off and the remainder of their body discarded. Shark fin can be sold for up to US$60.00 a pound while the flesh of the shark can only be sold for about US$0.50.
January Jones has starred in several movies amongst them “American Wedding” and “Anger Management”. She is also known for her role in the AMC television series “Mad Men”.
January Jones will be available for the press at a press briefing on Friday May 7th, 2010 at 10:00 am at a venue to be announced.
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